Patch-applying device for data cards

ABSTRACT

A device for patching a data card to cover and close a perforation therein. A plate is mounted for movement toward and away from a base on which a male die is supported. An opening in the plate overlies the male die. A hollow cutter die surrounding the opening cuts a patch from a strip of tape which is directed between the dies when the plate is advanced toward the male die with a card thereon having a perforation aligned with the opening and the patch is attached to the card overlying the perforation.

United States Patent [7 2] Inventor Lloyd K. Rogers 273 Sunset Drive,Highland Heights, Ky. 41076 [21] App1. No. 849,990 [22] Filed Aug. 14,1969 [45] Patented Oct. 26, 1971 [54] PATCH-APPLYING DEVICE FOR DATACARDS 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 156/514, 156/261 [51] 1nt.C1 B32b 31/18,

B32b 31/20 [50] Field of Search 156/261, 262, 505, 506, 513, 514

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,295,903 9/1942 Kennedy156/261 X 2,794,489 6/1957 Drummond 156/505 FOREIGN PATENTS 945,Q8812/1963 GreatBritain Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. Borcheit AssistantExaminer-James M. Hanley Armrney- Pearce & Schaeperklaus PATENTEU 253,616.0 84

SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR LLOYD K. ROGERS B WmVS 9 Attorneys PATENTEDUCT 2 6l97| SHEET 2 [IF 2 UVVENTOR LLOYD K. ROGERS Byaiaam'ms'cflnuw AttornevsPATCH-APPLYING DEVICE FOR DATA CARDS This invention relates to a devicefor correcting perforated cards. More particularly, this inventionrelates to a device for applying a patch to cover an improper orerroneous perforation on a data card.

When a data card is improperly perforated, the improper perforation canbe covered with a patch which must be properly placed to cover theimproper perforation without covering adjacent perforations.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which punches a patchfrom a length of adhesive-coated tape and applies the patch to a datacard to cover an improper or erroneous perforation.

Briefly, this invention provides a device which includes a plate whichmoves up and down and upon which a data card can be positioned with animproper perforation in the data card overlying an opening in the plate.A strip of tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive on an upper facethereof is guided below the opening in the plate. When the plate andcard are pressed downwardly, a stationary die is engaged by the tape anda patch is punched from the tape and pressed against the underside ofthe card as the card and plate move downwardly together. A tape-cuttingdie is mounted at the opening in the plate and the opening in the plateis sufficiently larger than the improper perforation that edge portionsof the patch are attached to the card at edges of the improperperforation. Resilient stop pads on opposite sides of the opening engagethe tape and hold the tape in position as the patch is punched from thetape and is applied to the card. The plate can be urged upwardly to anormal position free of the die by a spring. Means can be provided foradvancing the tape each time the plate is depressed to present a newsection of the tape below the opening.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertainsfrom the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a view in front elevation of a patch-applying deviceconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention with aplate thereof in normal position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the patch-applying device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation of the device with the plate thereofin depressed position;

FIG. 4 is a view in end elevation of the device;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of a data card with apatch covering an improper perforation therein; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in section on an enlarged scale taken onthe line 7-7 in FIG. 5.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, of what ispresently believed to be the best mode of practicing the instantinvention, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. 1-5 inclusive is shown a patch-applying device 10 constructedin accordance with an embodiment of this invention. The patch-applyingdevice 10 includes a base member 12 of generally angle shape including abottom flange 13 on which the device rests and an upstanding flange 14.A tubular guide 16 is attached to the bottom flange l3 and extendsupwardly therefrom. A sliding tube 17 is mounted on the guide 16 forsliding up and down telescopically with relation to the guide 16. Aplate 18 is mounted at the upper end of the sliding tube 17 for movingtherewith. An opening 19 (FIG. 7) is formed in the plate 18 overlyingthe center of the sliding tube 17 and the tubular guide 16. A hollowcutter die 20 is mounted inside the opening 19. A male die 21, whichconforms in shape and size to the cutter die 20, is mounted on a disc 22which is attached to the upper end of the tubular guide I6. The hollowcutter die 20 forms a female die cooperating with the male die 21. Stops23 and 24 are also mounted on the disc 22 and are engaged by the plate18 when the plate 18 is pushed downwardly to the FIG. 3 position inwhich the male die 21 extends through the cutter die 20. A compressionspring 26 (FIG. 5) urges the sliding tube 17 and the plate 18 to thenormal raised position shown in FIG. 1. The spring 26 bears on thebottom flange l3 and on shoulder 27 which is attached to the slidingtube 17 intermediate the ends thereof. Stop members 28 and 29 attachedto the upstanding flange I4 and overlying end flanges 30 and 31 of theplate 18 limit upward movement of the plate 18 and also present guidefaces 28g, 29g with which edge 32 of plate 18 cooperates so as topreclude rotation of tube 17 relative to tube 16 and assure maintenanceof male and female die members 21, 20 in proper alignment.

A ribbon or strip of tape 33 is guided over the male die 2! and underthe cutter die 20. The tape is carried by a reel 34 (FIG. 1) rotatablymounted we support 36 (FIG. 2) attached to the upstanding flange 14.From the reel 34, the tape passes through a slot 37 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5)in the sliding tube 17, over the male die 21, and through a second slot38 (FIG. 2) in the sliding tube 17 to a takeup reel 39. The takeup reel39 is rotatably mounted on a support 35 and is provided with a pluralityof circumferentially spaced pins 40 which are engageable by a pawl plate41. The pawl plate 41 is hinged to a bracket 42 (FIG. 1) attached to theplate 18, and, as the plate 18 moves from the FIG. 1 position to theFIG. 3 position, plate 41 swings as it trails past a pin 40 and thenswings to horizontal position at the beginning of the return to the FIG.I position so the pawl plate 41 engages one of the pins 40 and turns thetakeup reel 39 in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. ll sufficientlyso that following each time the plate 18 is depressed to patch anincorrect perforation as hereinafter described, a new section of thetape is presented above the male die 21 during the return stroke.

As shown in FIG. 7, a resilient pad 43 of rubber or the like isadhesively mounted on the upper end of the male die 21, and the rubberpad 43 engages the tape 33 and holds the tape as a patch 44 (FIGS. 3 and6) is cut therefrom. The stops 23 and 24 are also formed of rubber orrubberlike material and engage the tape on opposite sides of the maledie 21 to ensure cutting of a proper patch therefrom.

In the use of the device, a data card 46 (FIG. 6) having an incorrectperforation 47 and correct perforations 48 therein is positioned on theplate 18 (as shown in FIG. 7) with the improper perforation 47 centeredover the opening 19 therein. The upper face of the plate 18 is exposedso that the card 46 can be positioned and held thereon with theincorrect perforation 47 centered over the passage in cutter die 20,care being taken that no portion of any correct perforation 48 overliesthe passage in cutter die 20. Then the card 46 and the plate 18 arepushed downwardly so that the patch 44 is cut from the strip of tape andis affixed to the card overlying the improper perforation to cover andclose it. The operator can position his thumb on the card 46 so that itcovers the improper perforation and can push down with the thumbavoiding displacement of the card so that the patch is properlypositioned. The tape can be a thin tape having a pressure-sensitiveadhesive coating on the face thereof which is presented to the card sothat the adhesive coating adheres to the card surrounding the improperperforation 47. The dies are rectangular in shape and cut a rectangularpatch from the tape which corresponds to the incorrect perforation andoverlaps edges of the incorrect perforation only sufficiently for secureattaching to the card and without interfering with any adjacent correctperforation 48. A polyester film tape having a thickness of 3 mils canbe used. As shown in FIG. 5, a slot 49 is formed between the plate 18and the upper end of the sliding tube 17 at one side of the slots 37 and38 for ease of threading the tape into the slots 37 and 38.

The patch applying device is subject to structural modification withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described our invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

II. A device for forming a patch from a strip of pressure sensitive tapeand for applying the patch to a data card to cover and close aperforation therein which comprises a base, a male die supported on saidbase, a plate mounted for movement toward and away from the base, therebeing an opening in the plate overlying the male die, a hollow cutterdie surrounding the opening, the plate being exposed and unobstructedoverlying the opening, means for guiding the strip of tape between thedies, the dies being arranged to cut a patch from the strip of tape whenthe plate is advanced toward the male die with a card thereon having aperforation centered in alignment with the opening and to attach thepatch to the portion of the face of the card overlying the opening andsurrounding the perforation, and a resilient pad on the male die forengaging the patch to resiliently hold the patch against the data cardsurrounding the perforation.

2. A device for forming a patch from a strip of pressure sensitive tapeand for applying the patch to a data card to cover and close aperforation therein which comprises a base, a male die supported on saidbase, a plate mounted for movement toward and away from the base, therebeing an opening in the plate overlying the male die, a hollow cutterdie surrounding the opening, the plate being exposed and unobstructedoverlying the opening, means for guiding the strip of tape between thedies, the dies being arranged to cut a patch from the strip of tape whenthe plate is advanced toward the male die with a card thereon having aperforation centered in alignment with the opening and to attach thepatch to the portion of the face of the card overlying the opening andsurrounding the perforation, the male die being mounted on a firsttelescoping member and the plate being mounted on a second telescopingmember, there being slots in the second telescoping member receiving andguiding the tape, and resilient pad members mounted on the firsttelescoping member on opposite sides of the male die engageable with thetape for holding the tape in engagement with the plate on opposite sidesof the dies as a patch is cut from the tape and applied to a card.

2. A device for forming a patch from a strip of pressure sensitive tapeand for applying the patch to a data card to cover and close aperforation therein which comprises a base, a male die supported on saidbase, a plate mounted for movement toward and away from the base, therebeing an opening in the plate overlying the male die, a hollow cutterdie surrounding the opening, the plate being exposed and unobstructedoverlying the opening, means for guiding the strip of tape between thedies, the dies being arranged to cut a patch from the strip of tape whenthe plate is advanced toward the male die with a card thereon having aperforation centered in alignment with the opening and to attach thepatch to the portion of the face of the card overlying the opening andsurrounding the perforation, the male die being mounted on a firsttelescoping member and the plate being mounted on a second telescopingmember, there being slots in the second telescoping member receiving andguiding the tape, and resilient pad members mounted on the firsttelescoping member on opposite sides of the male die engageable with thetape for holding the tape in engagement with the plate on opposite sidesof the dies as a patch is cut from the tape and applied to a card.